Prayer
by Tiriol
Summary: During the early 19th century the Greeks rose up against their Ottoman masters and fought for the independence and freedom of their nation. The war started during 1820s and ended in 1830s and Greece, the cradle of European civilization, was now a free country and could pursue whatever path its people desired. But what desire does this new nation have?


**Axis Powers Hetalia: Prayer**

_The Aegean Sea is once again the sea of war. For centuries the tide has been set and fixed, waves throwing themselves against the west, the mighty Ottoman Empire ruling the Sea. But now the tide has turned. The cradle of Europe rises._

Two men were standing on an ancient temple's ruins on a distant isle far away in the blue Aegean Sea with the sun blazing over them. They were both armed and facing each other while a battle raged all around them as soldiers clashed, fought and died. Greece tightened his grip on his halberd and panted with exhaustion. He had fought for years now, his white clothing stained with dirt and ash and blood, his hair messy and dirty and his brow sweating. And the man who stood before him, clothed in red and white cloaks and robes and wearing a large turban, shadowing his masked face, was also struggling to keep himself up, gripping his sword with the ferocity of a wounded lion.

"End this madness now", the Ottoman Empire said. "Now when both of us are still standing. the Angel of Death has not yet called for either of us, but almighty God as my witness, that will come to pass if you do not relent!"

Greece did not answer. His eyes narrowed and with a sudden leap he attacked the Ottoman Empire, striking hard and nearly cleaving the man's head in two. Only veteran warrior's instinct saved the Empire and he raised his sword quickly enough to block the strike.

"Fool!" The Ottoman Empire shouted. "Have I not kept you safe? Have I not fed and clothed you after your mother passed on? Is this how you repay your benefactor, with treachery, betrayal, assault and selfish rebellion?"

The Ottoman Empire answered Greece's strike with his own mighty blow. The sword barely missed Greece's face when he used the halberd to turn the blow away from him.

"Why?" Ottoman Empire roared over the sound of biting steel and hard wood. "Did I not let you keep your cross, did I not let you worship as you saw fit?"

The fighters parted and both panted and wiped their faces clear of sweat. Greece looked at the Ottoman Empire with anger in his eyes.

"You have kept me as your servant, never knowing freedom", Greece answered silently; his answer was nearly a murmur. "You have used my lands and ridiculed the sacrifice of the Cross with your teachings. You took my mother away from me."

The two men circled each other, weapons ready to strike and to defend.

"Hundreds of years have passed since Byzantium passed away", Ottoman Empire said, with almost apologizing tone. "She had lived a long, good life before that. Surely that must not be reason enough to keep on fighting a hopeless battle against the Caliphate."

Greece shot a venomous glance at his opponent. "What are centuries to us? What years mean to nations? You took away my family. You took away my freedom. Now I'm taking it back."

The two nations stood silently, watching each other. Suddenly the Ottoman Empire launched himself at Greece, striking his halberd's shaft in two with his sword and smiling a wicked victor's smile.

"Your weapon is now in half", he gloated. "Surrender, for truly I will strike you as God's wrath struck Egypt."

Greece looked at the sword which was now pointed at him and then, to the bemusement and amazement of his opponent, simply shrugged. "Your fleet is already gone", Greece answered. "You have already lost this war. We both know that. Strike me down and England, France and Russia will burn down your house and your city. You will rule over ashes and ruins."

"Is that not what you want to do, O little country?" Ottoman Empire taunted Greece. "To rule over relics and ruins of your heathen past with nothing else left?"

"But it will be freedom", Greece answered. "Whether you now bring me down or accept the truth, I will be free. I won't be your slave any more. I have won."

Ottoman Empire looked straight into Greece's eyes and saw steel there; and a half-forgotten memory of his mother's eyes, tired yet strong as the rising sun, came upon him. The sword was lowered and then dropped to the ground. This one would not falter. His death would not be his defeat, for truly the Ottoman Empire had already lost.

Neither of them said anything. Ottoman Empire turned his back on Greece. The battle around them had fell silent. Soldiers had lowered their arms. The end to this all had come.

"Then go", Ottoman Empire said. "Enjoy the bitter fruits of a bitter war fought for vainglory and barren freedom."

"I will", Greece answered. He turned away as well, threw the remnants of his weapon on the ground and walked towards his people.

A great cry rose from the Greeks' lips, as they felt their hearts bursting with joy and fulfillment of a dream of generations. For ten years they had now fought and many had died, for ten years they had struggled in dirt and mud, and all for one thing: freedom of their own nation.

And now, in the year of 1832, they finally had it.

**Later...**

That night fireworks had set Greece's sky ablaze and the church bells' toll echoed throughout the Aegean Sea. Every village and city and isle was celebrating, for the hour of their independence had finally come and the wolves of the east had been driven away. And among the celebrating populace walked England and France and Russia, basking in their popularity, for their navies had come to Greece's aid and brought the Ottoman Empire's naval might low.

But one person was missing. Greece walked alone and silently entered a church, opening its old doors with a creak and stepping inside the sacred place. He respectfully bowed his head when he approached the great cross on the wall of the church and knelt before it.

"Our Father, You who are in Heaven, hallowed be Your name…" He said silently.

_All of the Ottoman Empire was silent and somber. Mosques were filled people grieving for those who had died in Greece's war and asking for divine guidance. The mighty empire, the sword of islam, had been defeated in the field of battle and the western infidels had brought war to their doorsteps._

The Ottoman Empire walked silently through the corridors of the Haga Sophia Mosque and knelt on the prayer floor, as was proper. The presence of the divine was all around him and before the Divine Will respectful submission was the only true way.

"Our God, who sent His prophet Muhammed to us, O maker of all, O creator of all", he whispered.

"When I was in despair, You granted me hope; when I was alone, You came to be with me; when all was dark, You gave me light", Greece said and smiled.

_"This is the hour of despair, so may divine hope be granted; now when I am alone, may divine presence be with me; now when all turns to dark, may divine light pierce it", Ottoman Empire prayed humbly._

"When all was torn from me and justice was denied, You, O Lord, brought an end to slavery and sundered the chains."

_"Now what once was one is torn asunder, what once was proper and whole is in pieces; O ever-merciful and ever-wise, let it not be so."_

"When weakness was all I had, You gave me strength. Now I am strong and my people are strong and the light of Heaven shines upon us."

_"Strength has waned and now weakness gnaws on us all. Let Your angels give us succor and courage so that weakness is turned into strength."_

"Much You have given, not because of merit but because of grace. But still I ask, O Lord, for You to bring us peace."

_"Much I have asked already and still more I ask, God the ever-knowing and ever-benevolent, for peace is all we truly desire."_

"Almighty God, the sea is red with blood and sorrow runs deep. May You grant peace for us all, for Greek and Ottoman, so that we may grow and learn. May peace be the guiding light of Your will. As it is in Heaven so let it be on earth. Amen."

_"Almighty God, the sea is red with blood and sorrow runs deep. May You grant peace for us all, for Greek and Ottoman, so that we may grow and learn. May peace be the guiding light of Your will. As it is in Heaven so let it be on earth. Amen."_

Ottoman Empire rose from his kneeling position and walked outside to greet the cooling night wind. The sun would rise again and the world would be different, but life would still continue.

Had someone entered the holy church while Greece was inside, somber and yet joyful, and seen him with bended knees before the Cross, that someone might have seen a trick of light as the moonlight fell upon the praying man: it was as if a tall and beautiful woman bearing regal garments of an older age and time, had been standing next to Greece, smiling with sad eyes and tears of joy and caressing the head of the man. That someone might have heard a gentle whisper in the wind, a barely audible – maybe nothing more than the soft wind itself playing tricks on imagination – calling Greece's name.

Greece stood up and once again looked at the Cross. It had carried him through all this time and now it was there to greet him when liberty's dawn was finally here. And as Greece turned around and walked away he could only wonder what else the future would have in store for him and how much the Cross would still see him to do and accomplish.

And as Greece left the church the whisper in the wind called again to him.

_My son, be at peace, be free._


End file.
